Metallic car



G. T. SOHOE N.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

METALLIC GAR.

(No Model.)

' Patented Julyj15, 1890.

' .zliiorney.

I IJVVEWTOR kg h WZZWZSSES (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. T. SGHOEN.

METALLIC GAR.

No. 482,086. W Patented July 15,1890.

WIZWESSES m ljvmwro'z? 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

0. T. SOHOEN.

METALLIC GAR.

Patented July 15, 1890.

W405 I I we uumus PETERS cm, PrwYo-umm, wnsnmcmu, n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

, CHARLES T. SOHOEN, OFPHIL ADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

" METALLIC CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,086 dated July 15, 1890.

Application filed May 12, 1890- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES T. SOHOEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Metallic Cars for Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The primary object of this invention is to construct a boX-car or gondola largely of pressed steel or equivalent wrought metal, although, as will be obvious from the following description, the invention, partly or wholly, is applicable to cars of other description.

It is obvious that if the weight of a car be rcduced'without impairing its strength and without diminishing its carrying capacity a great gain is had in economy of motive power. So, also, if these desirable ends be obtained without materially increasing the cost of construction, a still further gain is had in-that direction. The present invention is the result of efforts having these ends in view.

Inasmuch as the invention comprises a number of parts of the car, I will proceed immediately to the description of the construction, and finally particularly point out and claim the various parts and combinations forming this invention.

For the sake of conciseness, I will describe the invention as applied to a gondola, without, of course, as already intimated, limiting the invention, either in whole or in part, to that particular kind of car.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a top plan View of one end of the car with the flooring removed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the other end of the car complete. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of one end of the car, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of part of the other end of the car. Fig. 5 is an end elevation. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken in the plane of the bolsters. Figs-7, 8, and 9 show, respectively, back, side, and top views of the dead-block or bumper.

The body is provided with longitudinal sills a, of angle or channel iron or steel, and intermediate beams Z), of metal, and transverse connecting'bars c, of metal, and end sills d.

Serial No. 351,477. (No model.)

These several members are bolted together in suitable manner. In order to re-enforce the end sills, I interpose between the longitudinal sills a b andb b the braces e, which are bolted -to these several longitudinal sills, and, moreover, I insert the brace-rods f, extending from the two central longitudinal sills to the outside sills and bolted thereto. Additional braces 9 may also be employed to stiffen the draft-riggin The frame thus constructed is further stiffened by means of longitudinal trussrods 7t, which are bolted to the end sills, extend thence upwardly over struts or blocks 1', and thence down beneath the car and struts or blocks t". These struts or blocks i and t", I prefer to strike up in dies of pressed steel or other wrought metal, and in order to stiffen them I corrugate their sides or provide such sides with ribs 2' substantially as shown, andI make seats for the truss-rods in those portions of the struts or blocks which receive them by indenting such portions, substantially as shown, for example, in Fig. 5 at t. The transverse connecting-bars c, which receive the struts or blocks t", are made rather Wider than the others, so as to afford sufficient surface to bolt the said struts thereto. The struts or blocks 2' may be bolted to the body-bolster. The struts or blocks t' and 2" are provided with base-flanges t", in order to receive securing-bolts, and the said struts or blocks are made in the general outline of pyramids, but with openends. These struts or blocks may be conveniently made of pressed steel by striking up a flat blank in dies, forming at the same time the ribs 4?, truss-rod seats a, and flanges i The sides j and ends of the body I make of plate-steel, and in order to stiffen the same sufficiently I provide them with longitudinal ribs or corrugations 715'. the sides and ends are provided with flanges k by which the said sides and ends may be bolted in place, and I utilize the bolts 7' of the sides to bind together the sides, the flooring Z, and the sills a, and to further stiffen the parts the bolts j may pass through the sides, flooring-sills a, and struts t. In order to strengthen the corners of the car-body, I provide insideand outside corner-irons m, extending from the floor to the top of the The lower ends of sides and ends and provided at intervals with ribs m, to increase the stiffness and strength of such corner-irons and of course of the corners of the car. These corner-irons are suitably bolted to the corners and sides. The floor is furtherbolted to the intermediate sills, as indicated in Fig. 2 by the lines of staggered bolts g The sides and ends are provided "withers n, angular in cross-section, and

also struck up in dies from plate metal, preferably steel, and having a raised or protruding central portion a and side flan ges 92 These stakes taper in the direction of their length, as seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The end stakes are bolted by means of their flanges to the ends and to the braces g without the use of stake-pockets and ordinary U -bolts. So, also, the stakes on the sides are bolted by means of their flanges to the sides and to the sills a, also without the use of stake-pockets and ordinary U-bolts. By increasing the extent of protrusion of the central portion a from top to bottom there is an increase of strength in the stakes where the greatest strain comes. By this construction I am onabled to dispense with the stake-pockets and the U-bolts employed in connection therewith and to effect an economy of material in construction.

wooden draft-sills q may form part of the draft-rigging.

The dead-blocks .or bumpers r of this i11- vention differ in some particulars from the dead-blocks forming the subj eet of my patent, No. 416,506, dated December 3, 1889, and more especially in the particulars of being open at top and bottom and having tube or tubes 0" interposed between their heads and bases to re-enforce or stiifen the said blocks, and also to afford a sleeve through which a bolt or bolts may be passed for securing the said dead-blocks or bumpers to the sills. As shown, these dead-blocks or bumpers are struck up from plate metal with lateral corrugations or ribs W, and the doweled base 4- is provided, and the tubular posts 0' are inserted between the depressions r made in the face or head and the base for the purpose of receiving one or more securing-bolts and for stiffening the dead-block. As indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, the depressions r are provided with shoulders or flanges r to enter the tubular posts to keep them in place, and, if desired, the base 0' may be similarlyconstructed with inturned flanges or shoulders for a like purpose.

I have shown brake-beams s constructed in accordance with my patent, No. 426,075,

dated April 22, 1890; but I do not limit the invention to the use of this form of brake-beam.

The wheels t and the axles t and'the diamond truck '6 may be as usual; but the bolsters and their adjuncts are of this invention, and are constructed as follows: The body-bolster u has'the upper member a secured to the sills in suitable manner, and having a longitudinal rib a to stiffen and strengthen it. The ends a are turned over, as shown in Fig. 6. A second member a is arranged beneath the member u,with its ends coming substantially into contact with the ends 10 This second member a is also corrugated or ribbed longitudinally, as at u. The two members u and a are properly spaced and stiffened by means of interposed blocks a, the outlines of which are shown in detail in Figs. 3, 5, and 6. These blocks may also be struck up of steel, and,'if necessary, be bolted to the two members u and u. The two members to and a may be united by rivets or bolts a passed through their ribs.

The truck-bolster is composed of alongitudinally-ribbed metal body 1!, having shouldered ends 11', re-enforced and leveled by theattached pieces 17*, and the bolster is stiffened by trussrods 0 extending longitudinally from end to end, and braced to the plate 4; by means of a strut c The upper portion of this strut, as shown in Fig. 8, is corrugated to fol 111 a bed of substantially the cross-sectional outline of the plate v, and the lower ends of the said strut are provided with sockets to receive the truss-rods c and the sides are ribbed to stiffen it. This strut 12 preferably is struck up from wrought metalsay steel plate. The truss-rods c are secured to the shouldered ends 4) by means of nuts 2; or other appropriate fastening devices.

The separation of the members of the bod ybolster by means of the blocks M has for one obj ect the obtainin gin the body-bolster of the height necessary to separate the body from the trucks, and so, also, the upward inclination or bowing of the truck-bolster hasasimilar object. This bowing of these bolsters will be made to conform to whatever standards may be in vogue as to the distance between the bodies and trucks.

I have shown interlocking center bearingplates to constructed in accordance with my patent, No. 428,527, dated May 20, 1890, but do not limit the invention to that particular form of center bearingplate; and I have also shown the said bolsters provided with side bearings constructedin accordance with my patent, N 0. 420,629, dated February 4, 1890, but do not limit the invention thereto.

The sprin g-plank :20, which in metallic truckframes is usually made of channel-iron, I make of pressed steel or like wrought metal struck up in dies and corrugated or ribbed lon gitudinally to stiffen it, and having its longitudinal edges flanged to further stiffen it, said flanges being turned down so as to afford the proper height for supporting the'springs.

The center sills are I-beams by preference, and the sills between them and the side sills may be channel or I, as may be desired.

The springs and their arrangement in the trucks and the axle-boxes and other parts shown in the drawings and not specifically described may be of approved construction.

Now a car constructed in accordance with the foregoing description possesses, among others, the following advantages: The use of steel has enabled me to get a maximum of strength with a minimum of weight of material. Making the parts continuous whereever that is possible has reduced the number of parts, and thus avoided multiplication of joints, which joints are notoriously objectionable from their starting in use. The use of steel, moreover, has enabled me to combine rigidity with resilience in such manner that shocks and concussions are distributed throughout the car and recovered from much more readily than is possible in a construction of iron or even of wood. Such resilience also reduces the liability to breakage, and hence diminishes cost of repair. The first cost of the car is not materially increased above that of a wooden car, while its durability is very much enhanced; and finally, and particularly, the weight of the car, as compared with the ordinary wooden car, is reduced nearly one-third without decreasing carrying capacity, and this fact of itself suiiiciently demonstrates the great utility of a car constructed in accordance with this invention.

As the parts are all made for interchange, it is obvious that the cost of repairs and time necessary for making them are reduced to a minimum.

hat I claim is 1. The metallic frame composed of side sills of channel-bar and center sills of I-beams, transverse connecting-bars and end sills, and intermediate braces abutting against. the inside of the end sills and extending from sill to sill and bolted or riveted to the end sills all combined and arranged substantially as described.

3. A metallic stake constructed of wrought metal, preferably steel plate, and struck up in dies and having longitudinal flanges, by

which the said stake is bolted in place throughout and also having a raised or protruding central portion a, for stiffening and strengthening the stake longitudinally, the stake being angular in cross-section and tapering from a point near the lower end to the top, substantially as described, whereby economy of material in manufacture is effected, and U -bolts and stake-pockets ordinarily employed to secure stakes in place are rendered unnecessary.

4. A dead-block orbumper struck up from wrought metal, preferably pressed steel, in substantially the form shown, and having a suitable number of tubular posts interposed between its face and base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. Abody-bolster composed of aligned members suitably separated centrally to get the proper height, and corrugated or ribbed longitudinally to stiffen and strengthen them, and united on each side of the center, substantially as described.

6. A body-bolster composed of a longitudinally ribbed or corrugated member a and the aligned member a correspondingly ribbed or corrugated longitudinally, meeting at their ends and separated centrally byv means of locks to, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. A truck-bolster corrugated or ribbed longitudinally, and having shouldered and reenforced ends and a strut, all struck up from wrought metal, preferably steel plate, combined with truss-rods, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The spring-plank LB, constructed of wrought metal,preferably steel plate, and corrugated or ribbed longitudinally and having longitudinal downturned edge flanges, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a metallic car, the metallic cross-braces g, which serve to stiffen the frame and afford a means of attaching the stakes on the ends of the body of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set hand this 0th day of May, A. D. 1890.

CHARLES T. SOHOEN.

Witnesses:

E. A. SoHoEN, EDW'ARD P. HIPPLE. 

